Silver Wolf And The Vampires
by AriaFaith
Summary: Worrying about their own problems, the vampires overlooked the possibility that there might be something else walking the Earth. Being the only werewolf, Silver is going to present herself to the Princes. Will they accept her or turn her away? Read & see. Note: This was writen by my friend Erin Cooper but she gave it to e since she doesn't have the time to update her fanfics.
1. The Journey

I woke up from the sunlight peeking over the top of the trees. As I got up and stretched, I looked around at the pack. We should be heading north in a few minutes. I padded over to the deer carcass from last night and ate what was left of the meat. When I finished, the alpha came up to me and nudged me shoulder; it was time to get moving. I walked with him to the front of the pack and we broke out in a run. The sooner we get to Vampire Mountain the better.

You see, when counsel is held there are always leftover food. The vampires give it to us instead of wasting it. This year is more important to me than getting the free food; this is the year I will show myself to the vampire Princes. Seeing how they have their problems with the vampaneze, I don't blame them for over looking the possibility that something other than vampires walk the Earth. Being a werewolf and all, it's easy to hide what you truly are.

So this year I will meet with the vampires and tell them what I am. It's lonely being the only one of your kind. I have looked all over the world for any trace of anyone like me but only found a mad being who is kept at Cirque Du Freak. So due to my failure, I shall talk with the Princes and see if I can stay with them.

At the moment, we are two days away from Vampire Mountain. I could run the way, seeing as how I am faster and stronger than a normal wolf. But that would mean leaving the ones who helped me on my way. So I will go the rest of the journey with them.


	2. Search For The New Prince

We are now at the base of the mountain and I am ready to part with the pack. It has been a nice journey with them and I will miss them but things like this can't wait. I make a quick goodbye and start my trek up the mountain. An elderly wolf showed me the tunnels and entrances in Vampire Mountain at the last council before it became an effort for her to climb. I was grateful of her showing me the tunnels for it will be much easier to get inside now that I know where I am going.

I don't really have much of a plan for when I get inside. I know for sure that I can't just go up to one of the guards stationed at the entrances and ask to speak with the Princes. And I can't phase in front of a vampire, it is disturbing to the eyes that are not animals to see a naked person. So before I can do anything, I must find some clothes.

Deciding that the first thing to do is to find clothes, I looked for a scent that would led me to a herd of deer. After a few minutes, I found a small herd and picked out a medium sized buck. Creeping around the small meadow where they were grazing, I got in position to strike. When the buck was grazing, I leaped and killed him fast and painlessly.

The rest of the startled herd ran from the meadow. I phased to my human form and started to stretch the stiffness out of my limbs from being in wolf form too long. After the stiffness left, I began to search for a sharp stone to cut away the hide from the deer's flesh. When I found one and cut off the hide, I looked for a sharp object that could be used as a needle.

A near by thorn bush supplied me with a strong but thin thorn. Using some of the many long and sturdy grass that grew through the rocks, I began to sew the deer hide into a shirt and shorts. Minutes latter; I was dawning the new clothes I had made. So as not to waist the meat, I ate it for an early dinner. As a werewolf, I have to eat lots of meat to keep me going.

When I was done with the carcass, I continued my trek up the mountain. As I went, I thought about how I would get in. Even though I have clothes, I doubt they would let me in. My only choice now was to sneak in and try to speak with one of the Princes alone. Pairs Skyle would be in the Hall Of Princes but there might be guards and Generals.

Arrow would most likely see me as a trespasser, which in this case I am, and attack me on sight. Mika Ver Leth would also see me as a trespasser and would call the Generals.

Vancha March is out exploring the wild and would take too long to find. That would leave the new Prince, Darren Shan. From what I heard from the pack, he failed his Trials and ran away. But during his escape, he found around thirty vampaneze and discovered that Kurda Smahlt was a traitor.

After escaping capture from the vampaneze, Darren went down the river that was used to carry the dead. Weak and not far from death, Darren was found by a wolf cube and the alpha of the pack. This was at the time I was searching for others of my kind. The pack helped him get stronger and healthy before he decided to go back to Vampire Mountain.

The she wolf who showed me the tounels, led Darren to a seceret pasge to the Hall Of Princes. He then revealed the soon-to-be prince as the traiter and led a small army of vampires to kill the vampaneze. After their victory, the failure of Darren's Trials was brought up. Instead of sentencing him to death, they made him a Prince.

My only description of the Prince is that he is bald due to one of his Trials. When I got to one of the tunnels, I decided to take one of the unused ones. After many turns, I got to one of the Halls. Before entering, I took off my clothes and set them behind a large rock before phasing.

After that I went into the Hall. There were tables and stools carved from stone where vampires ate as they talked. I was in the food hall. As I went through, some of the vampires threw me some meat. I ate them politely and went to the next tunnel. Since the vampires and wolves are cousins, I can come and go without worry of being harmed.

Seven hours into my search, I find no clue as to where the Prince might be. I have passed many vampires but none of them were the Prince. As I was heading to another Hall, all the vampires around me flattened themselves against the walls. When I looked to see the cause, I saw my father. Desmond Tiny.


	3. Hunters Of The Dusk

My father was leading a bald vampire, the one I have been searching for, and a small, grey creature much like the ones I have seen at the Cirque Du Freak. Before I could step aside to let them pass, my father stopped and smiled.

"Well, Silver, have you decided to show yourself?" he asked.

The vampires in the hall looked around to see who he was talking to, when my father came up to me. I nodded to answer his question.

"Well then, you better phase back so you can talk. Harkart, bring those clothes!" he said and the gray creature came with my clothes.

He took the clothes from the creature and handed them to me. I griped them in my mouth and went into the next Hall, which was deserted. After phasing and putting my clothes on, I went back to the Hall. When I rounded the corner, the vampires and creature who was Harkart gasped.

"Shall we continue to the Hall Of Princes or shall just stand here and stare at one another?" Mr. Tiny asked.

The Prince led the way to the Hall and we all followed. We stopped at the doors of the Hall and Mr. Tiny glanced at the domed building.

"It's stood the test of time quite well, hasn't it," he remarked to no one in particular.

Then, laying a hand on the doors, he opened them and entered. Only a Prince was supposed to be able to open the doors, but it didn't surprise me that my father had the power to control them too. Two out of the tree Princes were already within the Hall, Mika and Paris, discussing the war that was ceruntly going on between the vampires and the vampaneze.

There were a lot of sore heads and blurry eyes, probably from many days without sleep, but everyone snapped to attention when they saw us striding in.

"By the teeth of the Gods," Paris gasped, his face whietining.

He cringed as my father set foot on the platform of the thrones, then drew himself straight and forced a tight smile.

"Desmond," he said, "it if good to see you."

"You too Paris," he responded.

"To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?" Paris asked with straight politeness.

"Wait a minute and I'll tell you," he replied, then sat down on a throne, crossed his legs, and made himself comfortable.

The Prince looked mad and I figured that my father was sitting on his throne

"Get the gang in," he said, crooking a finger at Mika, " I've some things to say and it's for everybody's ears."

I sat on the edge of the platform, looking at the vampires as they came in. Darren stood next to his mentor, Mr. Crepsley, by the other Princes. Harkart stood to the left of the throne my father sat in, looking uncertain. I sensed he didn't know whether to stand with the three creatures like him next to the throne of with the vampires.

"All present and correct?" Mr. Tiny asked.

He got to his feet and waddled to the front of the platform.

"Then I'll get strait to the point. You have heard the legend of Corza Jarn and that the pregnant wolf gave birth to two still born cubs and two life ones with the appearance of a human. Well I didn't leave the dead cubs dead. I brought them back to life and created another species. One was a male but mad and the other was female and was sane. But unlike their other siblings, they could naturally change form. They could be a wolf or human; they are what are called werewolves. They are like you an everyway but the blood drinking, instead they have to eat a lot of meat to keep them going."

"Where are these two werewolves?" Mika asked,

"Silver, will you stand up for everyone to see you?" my father asked.

"Yes father," I said standing up.

The vampires all looked at me and gasped. Instantly, they all started to whisper about what they had just heard. Before they could get too carried away, Mr. Tiny raised his hand and silenced them.

"I have other news to tell you. The Lord of the Vampaneze has been blooded," he paused, anticipating gasps, groans, and cries of terror. But they all just stared at him, too shocked to react.

After telling the vampires present in the Hall that they had a chance to win the war, he told them that there were only four people who could make that possible. He also said that the hunters, as he called then, had three chances to kill the Vampaneze Lord before he destroyed all vampires.

"Will you extend your generosity and tell us which vampires are destined to encounter the Vampaneze Lord?" Paris asked.

"I didn't say they were all vampires, but I will," my father said smugly. "But let me make one thing clear- the encounters will occur if the hunters _choose _to hunt the Lord of the Vampaneze. The four I name don't have to accept the challenge of hunting him down, or take responsibility for the future of the vampire clan. But if they don't, you're doomed, for in these four alone lie the ability to change that which is destined to be."

He slowly looked around the Hall, meeting the eyes of everyone, searching for signs of fear and weakness. No one looked away or wilted in the face of such a dire charge. He grunted.

"Very well," he said. "One of the hunters is absent, so I will not name him. If the other three head for the cave of Lady Evanna, they'll probably run into him along the way. If not, his chance to play an active part in the future will pass, and it will boil down to the lone trio."

"And they are….?" Paris asked tensely.

Mr. Tim glanced at me then at Darren.

"The hunters will be Larten Crepsely, his assistant Darren Shan, and Silver," he said simply.


	4. Family Reunion

There was a short debate, in which Paris told my Mr. Crepsley and Darren that this was not official duty and that they didn't have to agree to represent the clan- no shame would befall them if they refused to cooperate with my father. I knew they were going to agree anyway, when a vampire is chosen they don't say "no"; it's in their blood. At the end of the debate, as I knew he would, Mr. Crepsley stepped forward, red cloak snapping behind him like wings.

"I relish the chance to hunt down the Vampaneze Lord." He said.

Darren stepped up after him.

"Me too," he said in a brave tone.

"The boy knows how to keep it short," father said, winking at Harkart then turned to me.

"Will you help them Silver or doom their clan?" he asked with a smile.

I stood up again and looked at all the vampires.

"I do not know any of you or about you except from the legends that were passed on by the wolves. But if I had to choose to help save your clan or doom it I would help in a heartbeat. I have heard of this Lord of the Vampaneze and decided that he must be taken down before too much damage is done," I turned to the Princes, "I will help you hunt for the Vampaneze Lord."

"Brave words Silver," my father said with a mischievous smile.

"What about the rest of us?" Mika asked. "I've spent five years hunting for that accursed Lord. I wish to accompany them."

"Aye! Me too!" a General in the crowd shouted, and soon everyone was seeking to join the hunt.

Father shook his head, "Four hunters must seek- no more no less. Non-vampires may assist them, but if any of their kinsmen tag along, they shall fail."

Angry mutters greeted my father's statement.

"Why should we believe you?" Mika asked. "Surely ten stand a better chance than four, and twenty more than ten, and thirty-"

Father snapped his fingers. There was a loud, sharp sound as dust fell from overhead. Looking up, I saw long jagged cracks appear in the ceiling of the Hall of Princes. The vampires saw them and cried out, alarmed.

"Would you, who has not seen three centuries, dare to tell me, who measures time in continental drifts, about the mechanisms of fate?" father asked menacingly.

With another snap of his fingers, the cracks spread. Chunks of the ceiling crumbled inward.

"A thousand vampaneze couldn't chip the walls of this Hall, yet I, by snapping my fingers, can bring it tumbling down," to make his point clear, he lifted his fingers to snap then again.

"No!" Mika shouted. "I apologize! I didn't mean to offend you!"

Father lowered his hand.

"Think of this before crossing my path again, Mika Ver Leth," he growled, then turned to the gray creatures he brought with him, who headed to the doors of the Hall. "They'll patch the roof up before we leave. But next time you anger me, I'll reduce this Hall to rubble, leavening you and your precious Stone Of Blood 5to the whim of the vampaneze."

Blowing dust off his heart shaped watch, my father smiled around the Hall again.

"I take it we're decided- four shall it be?"

"Four," Paris agreed.

"Four," Mika muttered bleakly.

"As I said, non-vampires may- indeed _must_- play a part, but for the next year no vampire should seek out any of the hunters, unless for reasons that have nothing to do with the search for the Vampaneze Lord. Alone they must stand and alone they must succeed or fail."

With that, he brought the meeting to a close. Dismissing Paris and Mika with an arrogant wave of his hand, father beckoned Mr. Crepsley, Darren, and me forward, and grinned as he lay back on the throne. He kicked off one of his boots while he talked. He wasn't wearing socks, and I was surprised to see he had no toes- his feet were webbed at the ends, with six tiny claws jutting out like a cat's claws.

"Frightened, Master Shan?" he asked, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Yes," he said, "but I'm proud to be able to help."

"What if you _aren't_ any help?" he jeered. ""What if you fail and damn the vampires to extinction?"

He shrugged, "What comes, we take."

My father's smile faded.

"I preferred you when you were less clever," he grumbled, then looked at Mr. Crepsley. "What about you? Scared by the wait of your responsibilities?"

"Yes," Mr. Crepsley answered.

"Think you might break beneath it?"

"I might," he said evenly.

Father pulled a face, " You two are no fun. It's impossible to get a rise out of you. Harkart!"" he bellowed.

The creature approached automatically.

"What do you think of this? Does the fate of the vampires bother you?"

"Yes," Harkart replied, "it does"

"You care for them?"

"Hmmm," Harkart nodded.

Father rubbed his watch, which glowed briefly, then touched the left side of Harkart's head. Harkart gasped, and fell to his knees.

"You've been having nightmares," father noted, fingers still at Harkart's temple.

"Yes!" Harkart groaned.

"You want them to stop?"

"Yes."

He let go of Harkart, who cried out, then gritted his sharp teeth and stood up strait. Small green tears of pain trickled from the corners of his eyes.

"It's time for you to learn the truth about yourself," father said. "If you come with me, I'll reveal it and the nightmares will stop. If you don't, they'll continue and worsen, and within a year you will be a screaming wreck."

Harkart trembled at that but didn't rush to my father's side.

"If I wait," he asked, "will I have….another chance to learn….the truth?"

"Yes," father said, "but you'll suffer much in the meantime, and I can't guarantee your safety. If you die before learning who you really are, your soul will be lost forever."

Harkart frowned uncertainly.

"I have a feeling," he mumbled, "something whispers to me-" he touched the left side of his chest "-here. I feel that I should go with Darren…. Larten and Silver."

"If you do, it will improve the chances of defeating the Vampaneze Lord," father said. "Your participation isn't instrumental, but it could be important."

"Harkart," Darren whispered softly, "you don't owe us. You've already saved my life twice. Go with Mr. Tiny and learn the truth about yourself."

Harkart frowned.

"I think that if I….leave you to learn the truth, the person I was….won't like what I've done."

The creature spent a few more difficult seconds brooding about it, then squared up to my father.

"I'll go with them. Right or wrong, I feel my place is….with the vampires. All else must wait," he said with confidence.

"So be it," my father sniffed, "if you survive, our paths will cross again. If not…." His smile was withering.

"What of our search?" Mr. Crepsley asked, "you mentioned Lady Evanna. Do we start with her?"

"If you wish," father said, "I can't and won't direct you, but that's where _I _would start. After that, follow your heart. Forget about the quest and go where you feel you belong. Fate will direct you as it pleases. Now Silver, are you sure you want to help these vampires on their quest?" he asked me.

"Yes father, I would like to help," I said.

"Very well," he said with an evil smile.

That was the end of our conversation. Father slipped away without a farewell, taking his creatures with him. After that, Vampire Mountain was in an uproar that night. I stayed in the Hall of Princes to be asked questions by the Princes and a few Generals.

"Why haven't you shown yourself until now?" Arrow asked, having returned from war early.

"I have been traveling the world in search of others like me. My father never told me anything about what I was, but I learned as I got older. When I found that there was only one being like me, I made up my mind to show myself," I replied.

"How old are you?" Darren asked.

"Three hundred and seventeen."

"From what Mr. Tiny has told us, you were born at the same time as Lady Evanna. How is it that you are only three hundred and seventeen?" Mika asked.

"When I was twelve, my father told me that I was born during a different period of time and that he brought me to this time for a certain purpose."

"And what purpose would that be?" Paris asked.

"He has not told me and when I asked he only smiled."

"Wait, you said he brought you to a different time period. Do you mean to say that he can go through time?" Arrow asked.

"Yes."

"I knew he was powerful, but I never thought that he could be powerful enough to do that," he said, looking shocked.

"So where have you been living before you went on your search?" Darren asked.

"With a wolf pack."

"Would the alpha happen to have a streak on its stomach?"

"Yes."

"I know that pack. That's the one that helped me when I was running from the vampaneze and Kurda." Darren said to the other Princes.

"You are very popular with the pack. The cub that found you in the snow misses you," I said, remembering how excited the cub was when he was telling me the story.

"How is he?"

"He's grow since the last time you saw him. He will become the next alpha."

"Back to business, why are you helping us? Why not see if you can help your brother get better?" Paris asked.

"I have seen the vampaneze and found that they are noble and honest, but are misguided. The Vampaneze Lord is misleading and evil. Even though I have not seen him in person, I gathered enough information about him to know it. And my brother, he is hopeless and has to be caged or he will kill," I said, looking at the floor.

"Your brother wouldn't happen to be with the Cirque Du Freak would he?" Darren asked.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry," Darren said softly.

"You can go now Silver," Paris said.

After my questioning, my father's prophecy and visit was debated at length. The vampires agreed that Mr. Crepsley, Darren and I had to leave on our own, to meet up with the third hunter but were divided as to what the rest of them should do. Some thought that since the clan's future rested with the four lone hunters, they should forget the war with the vampaneze: it no longer seemed to serve any purpose. Most disagreed and said it would be crazy to stop fighting.

Two hours into the debate, I decided to leave to get some sleep. I went in a spare room and went to sleep on the floor.

Three hours before sunset, a servant of the quartermaster, Seba Nile, came to get me. I went with them as they said their privet goodbyes to Seba and gamekeeper Vanez. At the gate leading out of the Halls, we met Paris. He told us Mika was staying to assist with the night-to-night running of the war. He looked sick as he shook our hands, and I knew that he was due to go on to the next world.

"I'll miss you Paris," Darren said, hugging him roughly.

"I'll miss you too, young Prince," he said then squeezed him tight. "Find and kill him Darren. There is a cold chill in my bones, and it is not the chill of old age. Mr. Tiny has spoken the truth- if the Vampaneze Lord comes into his full powers, I am sure we all shall perish," I heard him hiss in his ear.

"I'll find him," Darren vowed, locking gazes with the ancient Prince, "and if the chance to kill him falls to me, my aim will be true."

"May the luck of the vampires be with you," Paris said.

"Thank you for helping us," he said to me.

"My pleasure."

After some more goodbyes, we set off down the tunnels. We moved quickly and surely, and within two hours we had left the mountain. When we got out on open ground I phased and gave my fur clothes to Darren to put in his pack of belongings. We jogged on the open grounds beneath the clear night sky. Our hunt for the Vampaneze Lord had begun.


	5. The Hunt Begins

In the few first weeks of our quest, as we walked, Darren and I talked a lot about what I was. He was fascinated when I said that the wolves and I could communicate with our thoughts. The young Prince was in high spirits as we cut a path through the mountains by night. Mr. Crepsley seemed gloomy but I could see that under his facade, he was as pleased as Darren was to be out in the open.

Harkart, though, was very quiet as he thought over what my father had said. We kept a steady pace, covering many miles by night and resting in the daytime in the shade or caves. While they rested, I went hunting and always brought back something for them to eat. As we wound our way down the mountain, the fierce chill we were in lessened. By the time we reached the lowlands we were as comfortiable as a human would have been on a blustery autumn day.

The vampires carried spare bottles of human blood and fed on wild animals. When they could, they joined me when I went hunting.

"This is the life, isn't it," Darren said one morning as we chewed on the roasted carcass of a deer.

Most days, we didn't light a fire- we ate our meat raw- but it was nice to relax around a mound of blazing logs every once in a while.

"It is," Mr. Crepsley agreed.

"I wish we could go on like this forever."

The vampire smiled.

"You are not in a hurry to return to Vampire Mountain?"

Darren pulled a face.

"Being a Prince is a great honor, but it's not much fun," he said.

"You have had a rough initiation," Mr. Crepsley said sympathetically. "Were we not at war, there would have been time for adventure. Most Princes wander the world for decades before settling down to royal duty. Your timing was unfortunate."

"I still can't complain," Darren said cheerfully, "I'm free now."

Harkart stirred up the fire and edged closer toward us. He hadn't said a lot since leaving Vampire Mountain, but now he lowered his mask. In the time since leaving the Mountain, I learned that his kind are called The Little People and that the air is toxic to them. To survive, they wear a special mask and that he started speaking a few months ago but had to take a breath every once in a while. I also learned that Little People don't have eyelids, so they can't blink.

"I loved Vampire Mountain. It felt like home. I never felt so at ease before, even when I….was with Cirque Du Freak. When this is over, if I have a choice, I'll return," he said.

"There is vampire blood in you," Mr. Crepsley said.

He was joking, but Harkart took him seriously.

"There might be," he said, "I have often wondered if I was a vampire in….my previous life. That might explain why I was sent to Vampire Mountain ….and why I fit in so well. It could also explain the stakes….in my dreams."

When Harkart sleeps, he wakes up screaming from nightmares, some of which involved stakes. The ground would give way in his dream and he'd fall into a pit of stakes and drove them through his heart.

"Any fresh clues as to who you might have been?" Darren asked. "Did meeting Mr. Tiny jog your memory?"

Harkart shook his chunky, neck-less head.

"No further insights," he said.

"Why did Mr. Tiny not tell you the truth about yourself if it was time for you to learn?" Mr. Crepsley asked.

"I don't think it's as….simple as that," Harkart said. "I have to earn the truth. It's part of the….deal we made."

"I think if you were _told_ who you were you would not really know if it was true. Your nightmares would continue and worsen. My father said you had to go with him, maybe he meant to take you in the past to _show_ you who you were," I said, throwing my deer bone aside.

"True," Harkart said.

"Wouldn't have been weird if you _had _been a vampire?" Darren remarked. "What if you'd been a Prince- would you still be able to open the doors of the Hall of Princes?"

"I don't think I was a Prince," Harkart chuckled, the corners of his mouth lifting in a gaping smile.

"Hey," Darren said, "if_ I _can became a Prince, anyone can."

"True," Mr. Crepsley muttered, then ducked swiftly as Darren tossed a leg of deer at him.

"Hey Darren, you want to see something cool?" I asked when I stopped laughing.

"Sure," he said.

"Ok, now do not be alarmed and do not try and stop me," I said as I put down my second deer leg.

I put my hand in the fire and quickly pulled it out.

"Are you insane!" Darren yelled, getting up to help me.

"Stop and watch my hand," I said before he could do anything.

He stopped and watched in shock as the burn faded and new skin grew over the flesh.

"How did you do that?" Mr. Crepsley asked.

"Vampires have healing spit so I guess werewolves have fast healing skin," I said with a shrug.

"So if I cut off your hand, you'd grow one back?" Harkart asked.

"No. I think it would just heal the part where you cut it and I would have a stub and the hand would grow skin where you cut it too," I said, picking my deer leg back up.

"That's gross but cool," Darren said.

Once clear of the mountains, we headed southeast and soon reached the edge of civilization.

"It's so noisy," Darren commented one night as we passed through a busy town.

We entered it so he and Mr. Crepsley could draw blood from the humans.

"So much music and laughter and shouting."

"Humans always chatter like monkeys," Mr. Crepsley said. "It's their way."

"At least you do not have a strong nose. It smells horrible here," I said, holding my nose.

I noticed Darren getting a terrible itch and it was getting worse as the days went. Before leaving town, he went to a pharmacy and bought several itching powders and lotions. But they did not bring him any relief. He scratched himself irritably as we journeyed to the cave of Lady Evanna. Mr. Crepsley wouldn't say anything about the woman we were going to meet, where she lived, was she vampire or human, and why we were going to see her.

"You should tell me these things," Darren grumbled one morning as we made camp. "What if something happens to you? How could Harkart, Silver, or me find her?"

Mr. Crepsley stroked the long scar running down the left side of his face and nodded thoughtfully.

"You are right. I will draw a map before nightfall."

"And tell us who she is?" Darren pressed.

He hesitated.

"That is harder to explain. It might be best coming from her own lips. Evanna tells different people different things. She might not object to you knowing the truth-but then again, she might."

"Is she an inventor?" Darren pressed again.

Mr. Crepsley owned a collection of pots and pans the folded up into tiny bundles, making them easier to carry. He told us Evanna had made them.

"She sometimes invents," he said. "She is a woman of many talents. Much of her time is spent breeding frogs."

Darren blinked.

"Excuse me?" he said.

"It is her hobby. Some people breed horses, dogs, or cats. Evanna breeds frogs."

"How can she breed frogs?" Darren asked with a snort.

"You will find out," he said then leaded forward and tapped Darren on the knee. "Whatever you say, do not call her a witch."

"Why would I call her a witch?" he asked.

"Because she is one- sort of."

"We're going to meet a _which_?" Harkart snapped worriedly.

"That troubles you?" Mr. Crepsley asked.

"Sometimes in my dreams….there's a witch. I've never seen her face- not clearly- and I'm not sure….if she's good or bad. There are times when I run to her for help, and times….when I run away, afraid."

"You have not mentioned this before," I said.

Harkart's smile was shaky.

"With all the dragons, stakes, and shadow men….what's a little witch?"

"You called Mr. Tiny the dragon master before you ran to the clearing where we found him, what did you mean by that?" Darren asked.

"I don't remember calling him that. Although," he mused, "I sometimes see Mr. Tiny in my dreams, riding the ….backs of dragons. Once he tore the brain out of one and….tossed it at me. I reached to catch it but….woke before I could."

We thought about that image for a long time. After a while, Mr. Crepsley and Darren dismissed them, rolled over, and slept. I stayed up and thought of what his dreams could mean while Harkart stayed awake, putting off sleep to avoid the nighmares.


	6. The Purge And Finding The Fourth Hunter

Darren's purge lasted six weeks. At the end of those weeks, the turmoil ceased. He had stopped growing, he no longer had to shave (though the hair on his head remained so he was no longer bald), and he did not need the grass balls in his ears and nose. His senses soon went back to normal, he was now three inches taller, and noticeably broader. The skin on his face had hardened, giving him a slightly older appearance, about fifteen or sixteen.

As he said he would, Vancha watched us from afar. Every now and then, I would tell the others I was going to hunt and the Prince and I would talk. As the weeks went by, we grew very close. He would sometimes show me how to use his throwing stars and I would show him how to use the stars as a guide at night. One day when he was showing me how to hit a target from treetop, I heard Darren coming a few yards away. Before he could get close enough to spot Vancha, I grabbed the wild Prince by the arm and sped away.

When we were far enough, I gave him his throwing star back and told him I had to leave.

"But we just started. Can't you stay a little longer and say you were trying to track a herd or something?" he asked.

"I do not like lying to my new friends, even if it is for a good reason," I said, turning to leave.

"When will I see you again?" Vancha asked, holding my shoulder softly.

"Soon," I said, looking into his dark blue eyes.

"Promise?" he said, taking hold of my hands.

"Promise," I said, he kissed me passionately before releasing me to speed off.

When I was close to where I heard Darren, I slowed and calmed my breathing. I strode to the tree Vancha and I were in seconds earlier and found Darren.

"Mr. Crepsley said we need to get to the town so we can get me some new clothes," he said when he spotted me.

"Sure, I will need to get some more too. The ones I got are now very tattered," I said as we walked to camp.

When we finished packing up, we began to head into the town. As we went, I could sense Vancha following us. Darren and I went in alone and Mr. Crepsley and Harkart would meet us at the other end. We found a small army surplus and started picking out new clothes. Of course, I was wearing the human clothes I got for when we had to in town. But they were tattered and the man at the cash register kept an eye on me, like he thought I was a homeless woman about to steal something from his outpost.

Ignoring the man, I picked out a few black cupreous and some dark gray short-sleeve shirts. As we were paying for the clothes, a tall, lean man entered. He was wearing a brown shirt, black pants, and a baseball cap.

"I need supplies," he muttered at the man behind the counter, tossing a list at him.

"You'll need a license for the guns," the shopkeeper said, running an eye over the scrap of paper.

"I've got one," the man said.

He was reaching into a shirt pocket when he caught sight of Darren's hands and stiffened. Darren was holding the new clothes he had picked across his chest, and the scars on his fingertips- where he had been blooded- were clear. The man looked at my fingertips and then my face. As not to rouse suspicion, I gave him a confused look and looked to Darren. The man relaxed but kept looking at me.

He turned away slowly to pay for his things- I knew instantly that this man knew about vampires and how to spot one.

"Come on Darren. We can not be late for our camping trip, your friends are waiting," I said and we hurried out of the store.

"He knew what I was," Darren whispered when we put a good distance between the store and us.

"Yes, he must have seen vampires before or else he would not have paid attention to your scars," I whispered back.

"We need to get to the other side of the town," he said and we picked up the pace.

As we went, I could feel eyes on my back; and they were not the eyes of Vancha. When we got to our meeting point, Darren and I told Mr. Crepsley and Harkart about the man.

"Was he nervous?" Mr. Crepsley asked. "Did he follow you when you left?"

"He went stiff when he saw the marks and then looked at my fingers. He knew what the marks meant, that is for sure. The man looked at me for a while before paying for his supplies. As we left the town, I felt as though we were being followed," I said.

Mr. Crepsley rubbed his scar thoughtfully.

"Humans who know the truth about vampire marks are uncommon, but some exist. In all probability he is an ordinary person who heard tales of vampires and their fingertips. He might have thought you were human due to your lack of scars Silver," he said.

"But he _might _be a vampire hunter," Darren said quietly.

"Vampire hunters are rare- but real," Mr. Crepsley thought it over, then decided. "We will proceed as planned, but keep our eyes open, and you or Harkart will remain on watch by day. If an attack comes, we shall be ready." He smiled tightly and touched the handle of his knife. "And waiting."

By dawn we knew we had a fight on our hands. We were being followed; not just by one person, but six. They had picked up our trail a few miles outside the town and had been tracking us ever since. They moved around with admirable stealth.

"What's the plan?" Harkart asked as we were making camp in the middle of a small forest, sheltered from the sun beneath the branches and leaves.

"They will wait for full daylight to attack," Mr. Crepsley said, keeping his voice low. "We will act as though all is normal and pretend to sleep. When they come, we will deal with them."

"Will you be ok in the sun?" Darren asked.

Though we sheltered where we were, a battle might draw us out of the shade.

"The rays will not harm me during the short time it will take to deal with this threat," Mr. Crepsley replied. "And I will protect my eyes with cloth, as you did during your purge."

Making beds in the moss and leaves on the ground, they wrapped themselves in their cloaks and settled down.

"Silver. You aren't going to sleep?" Darren asked.

"I am, I just rather sleep high up," I said, climbing the tree next to me.

While I climbed, I could hear them murmuring about vampire hunters. There was no more talk after that. They lay still, eyes closed, breathing evenly, pretending to be asleep. I laid my duffle bag on a branch and used it as a pillow. I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Seconds passed slowly, taking an age to become minutes, and an eternity to become hours. As the time passed, I could hear the humans getting closer. Shortly after midday, the humans moved in for the kill. There were six of them, two on Darren's right, two on Mr. Crepsley's left, and two behind Harkart.

I wondered why none of the humans were in a position to fight me when I realized they thought I was a human girl who didn't know she was traveling with vampires. They probably thought they were going to kill me for my blood. I could use this against them.

The humans came to a standstill ten or twelve yards away, tucked behind trees, preparing themselves to attack. There was a long, nervous pause-then the sound of guns being slowly cocked.

"_Now!" _Mr. Crepsley roared, springing to his feet, launching himself at the nearest human.

While Mr. Crepsley closed in on his attackers at incredible speed, Harkart and Darren targeted one each. The one Darren set his sights on cursed loudly, stepped out from behind his tree, brought his rifle up, and got a snap shot off. A bullet whizzed past, missing him by several inches. Before he could fire again, Darren was upon him. The other two humans that weren't fighting ran up to my tree.

"Miss, we have to get you out of here," one of them said while the other watched the fight.

I nodded and stepped down the tree and pretended to look scared. When I got to the ground, the men started running. One was in front of me and the other behind. We ran out of the shade and when we were far enough, I attacked. I phased, ripping my clothes to shreds, and lunged at the human behind me.

I bit into his neck quickly and ripped out his jugular, killing him instantly. I turned on the other human and lunged at him, knocking him to the ground and ripping out his jugular too. With the two humans dead, I sped back to where the others were fighting. When I got to the spot, I saw that Mr. Crepsley had gotten rid of his human and was striding toward Harkart, who was wrestling with his opponent.

Harkart appeared to be winning, but Mr. Crepsley was moving into place to back him up should the battle take a turn for the worse. When I looked to Darren I saw him standing in front of his opponent who was grinning horribly at him.

"You should have taken my other hand too!" the human growled.

My eyes fixed on the human's only hand and my breath caught in my throat- he was clutching a hand grenade close to his chest.

"Don't move!" he shouted as Darren lurched toward him, the human half-pressed the detonator with his thumb. "If this goes off, it takes you with me!"

"Easy," Darren said, backing off slightly, gazing fearfully at the primed grenade.

"I'll take it easy in hell!" he chuckled sarcastically. "Now, tell your foul vampire friend and that gray-skinned monster to let my companion go or I'll-"

There was a sharp whistling sound from the trees to my left. A throwing star hit the grenade and sent it flying from the human's hand. He yelled and grabbed for another among the many he had strapped across his chest. There was a second whistling sound and another throwing star buried itself in the middle of the human's head.

The human slumped backward with a grunt, shook crazily, then lay still. I did not waist time and went to my duffle bag and phased, putting some clothes on quickly. When I was done, I turned back to find the three of them looking shocked and confused. Vancha jumped from the tree I am standing next to and we both strode towards Darren.

"Only ever turn your back on a corpse!" Vancha snapped and Darren whirled around. "Didn't Vanez Blane teach you that?"

"I…forgot," Darren wheezed, looking too shaken to say anything else.

"I'll have my shuriken back, thank you," Vancha said to the dead human, prying the throwing star loose, whipping the blood off, and reattaching it to its holder.

He turned the human's head left and right with his foot and I looked to see the shaved head, tattoos, and red circles of a vampet.

"A vampet!" Vancha and I snorted.

"You've clashed with these miserable cures before Silver?" he asked, turning to me.

"Yes, they mistook me for a vampire due to the fact that I was sleeping in one of your vampire resting places along the way to Vampire Mountain," I said, spitting on the dead human. "I will tell you the story one day."

"So have I," Vancha said, rolling the dead vampet over with his foot so that he was lying face down.

"Vancha March, it's an honor to meet you sire," Darren said, bowing his head in respect when Vancha turned to address him.

"Likewise," he replied cheerfully.

"Vancha!" Mr. Crepsley boomed, tearing the cloth from his eyes and clasping the Prince on the shoulders. "What are you doing here sire? I thought you were farther up north."

"I was," Vancha sniffed, freeing his left hand and wiping it across his nose, flicking away a bugger. "But there was nothing happening, so I cut south. I'm heading for Lady Evanna's."

"We are too," Darren said.

"That's what Silver told me," Vancha said.

"You've met?" Mr. Crepsley asked.

"A while after Darren's purge ended, the day I was distracted during our wrestling match," I said.

"Why did you stay hidden from us?" Mr. Crepsley asked.

"As I had explained to Silver, this was the first time I've seen the new Prince ad I wanted to observe him from afar for a while," Vancha replied, studying Darren sternly. "On the basis of the fight, I have to say I'm not overly impressed!"

"As am I," I say, looking at Darren.

"I erred, and am sorry," he said stiffly, looking from me to Vancha. "I was worried about my friends and I made the mistake of pausing when I should have pushed ahead. I accept full responsibility and I apologize most humbly."

"At least he knows how to make a good apology," Vancha laughed, clapping Darren on the back.

As Harkat limped towards us- having finished off the human he was fighting- Vancha sat and crossed his legs. Lifting his left foot, he lowered his head and started biting off his toenails. Darren looked a little disgusted.

"So this is the Little Person who talks," Vancha mumbled, eyeing Harkat over the nail of his big toe. "Harkat Mulds is it?"

"It is sire," Harkat replied, lowering his mask.

"I might as well tell you strait up, Mulds, I don't trust Desmond Tiny- no offence Silver."

"None taken," I said, sitting down beside him and motioning for him to continue.

"Or any of his stumpy disciples."

"And I don't trust vampires who…chew their toenails," Harkat threw back at him, then paused and added slyly, "_sire."_

Vancha laughed at that and spat out a chunk of nail.

"I think we're going to get along fine, Mulds!'

"Hard trek, sire?" Mr. Crepsley asked, sitting down on the other side of Vancha, covering his eyes with the cloth again.

"Not bad," Vancha said with a grunt, uncrossing his legs.

He then started in on his right toenails.

"Yourselves?" he asked.

"The traveling has been good," Mr. Crepsley replied.

"You did good in that fight Silver, very clever of you to play innocent human girl and then catch them by surprise," Vancha said.

"Thank you sire."

Vancha let go of his foot and lay back.

"There is much news from Vampire Mountain-" Mr. Crepsley began.

"Silver already filled me in," the Prince said with a yawn.

He took off his purple cloak and draped it over himself.

"Wake me when it's dusk," he yawned before rolling over and starting to snore.

"_He's _a Vampire Prince?" Darren asked in a whisper.

"He is," Mr. Crepsley said with a smile.

"But he looks like…" Harkat muttered uncertainly. "He acts like…"

"Do not be fooled by appearances," I said.

"Vancha chooses to live roughly," Mr. Crepsley added.

"As do I. But he is the finest of vampires," said.

"If you say so," Darren said doubtfully.

With that all said and done, I laid down and fell asleep.


	7. Vampire Hunters

Darren's purge lasted six weeks. At the end of those weeks, the turmoil ceased. He had stopped growing, he no longer had to shave (though the hair on his head remained so he was no longer bald), and he did not need the grass balls in his ears and nose. His senses soon went back to normal, he was now three inches taller, and noticeably broader. The skin on his face had hardened, giving him a slightly older appearance, about fifteen or sixteen.

As he said he would, Vancha watched us from afar. Every now and then, I would tell the others I was going to hunt and the Prince and I would talk. As the weeks went by, we grew very close. He would sometimes show me how to use his throwing stars and I would show him how to use the stars as a guide at night. One day when he was showing me how to hit a target from treetop, I heard Darren coming a few yards away. Before he could get close enough to spot Vancha, I grabbed the wild Prince by the arm and sped away.

When we were far enough, I gave him his throwing star back and told him I had to leave.

"But we just started. Can't you stay a little longer and say you were trying to track a herd or something?" he asked.

"I do not like lying to my new friends, even if it is for a good reason," I said, turning to leave.

"When will I see you again?" Vancha asked, holding my shoulder softly.

"Soon," I said, looking into his dark blue eyes.

"Promise?" he said, taking hold of my hands.

"Promise," I said, he kissed me passionately before releasing me to speed off.

When I was close to where I heard Darren, I slowed and calmed my breathing. I strode to the tree Vancha and I were in seconds earlier and found Darren.

"Mr. Crepsley said we need to get to the town so we can get me some new clothes," he said when he spotted me.

"Sure, I will need to get some more too. The ones I got are now very tattered," I said as we walked to camp.

When we finished packing up, we began to head into the town. As we went, I could sense Vancha following us. Darren and I went in alone and Mr. Crepsley and Harkart would meet us at the other end. We found a small army surplus and started picking out new clothes. Of course, I was wearing the human clothes I got for when we had to in town. But they were tattered and the man at the cash register kept an eye on me, like he thought I was a homeless woman about to steal something from his outpost.

Ignoring the man, I picked out a few black cupreous and some dark gray short-sleeve shirts. As we were paying for the clothes, a tall, lean man entered. He was wearing a brown shirt, black pants, and a baseball cap.

"I need supplies," he muttered at the man behind the counter, tossing a list at him.

"You'll need a license for the guns," the shopkeeper said, running an eye over the scrap of paper.

"I've got one," the man said.

He was reaching into a shirt pocket when he caught sight of Darren's hands and stiffened. Darren was holding the new clothes he had picked across his chest, and the scars on his fingertips- where he had been blooded- were clear. The man looked at my fingertips and then my face. As not to rouse suspicion, I gave him a confused look and looked to Darren. The man relaxed but kept looking at me.

He turned away slowly to pay for his things- I knew instantly that this man knew about vampires and how to spot one.

"Come on Darren. We can not be late for our camping trip, your friends are waiting," I said and we hurried out of the store.

"He knew what I was," Darren whispered when we put a good distance between the store and us.

"Yes, he must have seen vampires before or else he would not have paid attention to your scars," I whispered back.

"We need to get to the other side of the town," he said and we picked up the pace.

As we went, I could feel eyes on my back; and they were not the eyes of Vancha. When we got to our meeting point, Darren and I told Mr. Crepsley and Harkart about the man.

"Was he nervous?" Mr. Crepsley asked. "Did he follow you when you left?"

"He went stiff when he saw the marks and then looked at my fingers. He knew what the marks meant, that is for sure. The man looked at me for a while before paying for his supplies. As we left the town, I felt as though we were being followed," I said.

Mr. Crepsley rubbed his scar thoughtfully.

"Humans who know the truth about vampire marks are uncommon, but some exist. In all probability he is an ordinary person who heard tales of vampires and their fingertips. He might have thought you were human due to your lack of scars Silver," he said.

"But he _might _be a vampire hunter," Darren said quietly.

"Vampire hunters are rare- but real," Mr. Crepsley thought it over, then decided. "We will proceed as planned, but keep our eyes open, and you or Harkart will remain on watch by day. If an attack comes, we shall be ready." He smiled tightly and touched the handle of his knife. "And waiting."

By dawn we knew we had a fight on our hands. We were being followed; not just by one person, but six. They had picked up our trail a few miles outside the town and had been tracking us ever since. They moved around with admirable stealth.

"What's the plan?" Harkart asked as we were making camp in the middle of a small forest, sheltered from the sun beneath the branches and leaves.

"They will wait for full daylight to attack," Mr. Crepsley said, keeping his voice low. "We will act as though all is normal and pretend to sleep. When they come, we will deal with them."

"Will you be ok in the sun?" Darren asked.

Though we sheltered where we were, a battle might draw us out of the shade.

"The rays will not harm me during the short time it will take to deal with this threat," Mr. Crepsley replied. "And I will protect my eyes with cloth, as you did during your purge."

Making beds in the moss and leaves on the ground, they wrapped themselves in their cloaks and settled down.

"Silver. You aren't going to sleep?" Darren asked.

"I am, I just rather sleep high up," I said, climbing the tree next to me.

While I climbed, I could hear them murmuring about vampire hunters. There was no more talk after that. They lay still, eyes closed, breathing evenly, pretending to be asleep. I laid my duffle bag on a branch and used it as a pillow. I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Seconds passed slowly, taking an age to become minutes, and an eternity to become hours. As the time passed, I could hear the humans getting closer. Shortly after midday, the humans moved in for the kill. There were six of them, two on Darren's right, two on Mr. Crepsley's left, and two behind Harkart.

I wondered why none of the humans were in a position to fight me when I realized they thought I was a human girl who didn't know she was traveling with vampires. They probably thought they were going to kill me for my blood. I could use this against them.

The humans came to a standstill ten or twelve yards away, tucked behind trees, preparing themselves to attack. There was a long, nervous pause-then the sound of guns being slowly cocked.

"_Now!" _Mr. Crepsley roared, springing to his feet, launching himself at the nearest human.

While Mr. Crepsley closed in on his attackers at incredible speed, Harkart and Darren targeted one each. The one Darren set his sights on cursed loudly, stepped out from behind his tree, brought his rifle up, and got a snap shot off. A bullet whizzed past, missing him by several inches. Before he could fire again, Darren was upon him. The other two humans that weren't fighting ran up to my tree.

"Miss, we have to get you out of here," one of them said while the other watched the fight.

I nodded and stepped down the tree and pretended to look scared. When I got to the ground, the men started running. One was in front of me and the other behind. We ran out of the shade and when we were far enough, I attacked. I phased, ripping my clothes to shreds, and lunged at the human behind me.

I bit into his neck quickly and ripped out his jugular, killing him instantly. I turned on the other human and lunged at him, knocking him to the ground and ripping out his jugular too. With the two humans dead, I sped back to where the others were fighting. When I got to the spot, I saw that Mr. Crepsley had gotten rid of his human and was striding toward Harkart, who was wrestling with his opponent.

Harkart appeared to be winning, but Mr. Crepsley was moving into place to back him up should the battle take a turn for the worse. When I looked to Darren I saw him standing in front of his opponent who was grinning horribly at him.

"You should have taken my other hand too!" the human growled.

My eyes fixed on the human's only hand and my breath caught in my throat- he was clutching a hand grenade close to his chest.

"Don't move!" he shouted as Darren lurched toward him, the human half-pressed the detonator with his thumb. "If this goes off, it takes you with me!"

"Easy," Darren said, backing off slightly, gazing fearfully at the primed grenade.

"I'll take it easy in hell!" he chuckled sarcastically. "Now, tell your foul vampire friend and that gray-skinned monster to let my companion go or I'll-"

There was a sharp whistling sound from the trees to my left. A throwing star hit the grenade and sent it flying from the human's hand. He yelled and grabbed for another among the many he had strapped across his chest. There was a second whistling sound and another throwing star buried itself in the middle of the human's head.

The human slumped backward with a grunt, shook crazily, then lay still. I did not waist time and went to my duffle bag and phased, putting some clothes on quickly. When I was done, I turned back to find the three of them looking shocked and confused. Vancha jumped from the tree I am standing next to and we both strode towards Darren.

"Only ever turn your back on a corpse!" Vancha snapped and Darren whirled around. "Didn't Vanez Blane teach you that?"

"I…forgot," Darren wheezed, looking too shaken to say anything else.

"I'll have my shuriken back, thank you," Vancha said to the dead human, prying the throwing star loose, whipping the blood off, and reattaching it to its holder.

He turned the human's head left and right with his foot and I looked to see the shaved head, tattoos, and red circles of a vampet.

"A vampet!" Vancha and I snorted.

"You've clashed with these miserable cures before Silver?" he asked, turning to me.

"Yes, they mistook me for a vampire due to the fact that I was sleeping in one of your vampire resting places along the way to Vampire Mountain," I said, spitting on the dead human. "I will tell you the story one day."

"So have I," Vancha said, rolling the dead vampet over with his foot so that he was lying face down.

"Vancha March, it's an honor to meet you sire," Darren said, bowing his head in respect when Vancha turned to address him.

"Likewise," he replied cheerfully.

"Vancha!" Mr. Crepsley boomed, tearing the cloth from his eyes and clasping the Prince on the shoulders. "What are you doing here sire? I thought you were farther up north."

"I was," Vancha sniffed, freeing his left hand and wiping it across his nose, flicking away a bugger. "But there was nothing happening, so I cut south. I'm heading for Lady Evanna's."

"We are too," Darren said.

"That's what Silver told me," Vancha said.

"You've met?" Mr. Crepsley asked.

"A while after Darren's purge ended, the day I was distracted during our wrestling match," I said.

"Why did you stay hidden from us?" Mr. Crepsley asked.

"As I had explained to Silver, this was the first time I've seen the new Prince ad I wanted to observe him from afar for a while," Vancha replied, studying Darren sternly. "On the basis of the fight, I have to say I'm not overly impressed!"

"As am I," I say, looking at Darren.

"I erred, and am sorry," he said stiffly, looking from me to Vancha. "I was worried about my friends and I made the mistake of pausing when I should have pushed ahead. I accept full responsibility and I apologize most humbly."

"At least he knows how to make a good apology," Vancha laughed, clapping Darren on the back.

As Harkat limped towards us- having finished off the human he was fighting- Vancha sat and crossed his legs. Lifting his left foot, he lowered his head and started biting off his toenails. Darren looked a little disgusted.

"So this is the Little Person who talks," Vancha mumbled, eyeing Harkat over the nail of his big toe. "Harkat Mulds is it?"

"It is sire," Harkat replied, lowering his mask.

"I might as well tell you strait up, Mulds, I don't trust Desmond Tiny- no offence Silver."

"None taken," I said, sitting down beside him and motioning for him to continue.

"Or any of his stumpy disciples."

"And I don't trust vampires who…chew their toenails," Harkat threw back at him, then paused and added slyly, "_sire."_

Vancha laughed at that and spat out a chunk of nail.

"I think we're going to get along fine, Mulds!'

"Hard trek, sire?" Mr. Crepsley asked, sitting down on the other side of Vancha, covering his eyes with the cloth again.

"Not bad," Vancha said with a grunt, uncrossing his legs.

He then started in on his right toenails.

"Yourselves?" he asked.

"The traveling has been good," Mr. Crepsley replied.

"You did good in that fight Silver, very clever of you to play innocent human girl and then catch them by surprise," Vancha said.

"Thank you sire."

Vancha let go of his foot and lay back.

"There is much news from Vampire Mountain-" Mr. Crepsley began.

"Silver already filled me in," the Prince said with a yawn.

He took off his purple cloak and draped it over himself.

"Wake me when it's dusk," he yawned before rolling over and starting to snore.

"_He's _a Vampire Prince?" Darren asked in a whisper.

"He is," Mr. Crepsley said with a smile.

"But he looks like…" Harkat muttered uncertainly. "He acts like…"

"Do not be fooled by appearances," I said.

"Vancha chooses to live roughly," Mr. Crepsley added.

"As do I. But he is the finest of vampires," said.

"If you say so," Darren said doubtfully.

With that all said and done, I laid down and fell asleep.


	8. Vancha's True Foe

We left lying where we killed them (Vancha said, and I agreed, they were not worthy for burial) and set off at dusk. Vancha picked at his teeth with a sharp twig as he walked beside me. After a while, he cast is aside and spat into the dust trail. The Prince is a master spitter-his spit was thick, globular, and green. He could hit an ant at twenty paces.

"I don't trust that evil meddler, Tiny," he said aloud. "I've run into him a couple of times and I've made a habit of doing the opposite of anything he says."

Mr. Crepsley nodded in agreement.

"Generally speaking, I would agree with you. But these are dangerous times, sire, and-"

"Larten!" Vancha interrupted. "It's 'Vancha,' 'March,' or 'Hey, ugly!' while we're on the trail. I won't have you groveling to me…and that goes for you too Silver," he added, looking at me.

"As you wish…Vancha," I said.

"Very well-" Mr. Crepsley grinned "-_ugly_."

He grew serious again.

"Theses are dangerous times, Vancha. The future of our race is at stake. Dare we ignore Mr. Tiny's prophecy? If there is hope, we must seize it."

Vancha let out a long unhappy sigh.

"For hundreds of years, Tiny's let us think we were doomed to loose the war when the Vampaneze Lord arose. Why does he tell us now, after all this time, that it _isn't _cut and dried, but we can only prevent it if we follow his instructions?"

He scratched the back of his neck and spat into the bush to our left.

"It sounds like a load of guano to me!" he added.

"What do you think of this Silver?" Mr. Crepsley asked.

"My father loves the dramatics and by telling you that all is not lost at the last moment, he has made much of it. I cannot be sure that what he told us is truth but I would heed what he has said," I answered.

"Maybe Evanna can shed light on the subject," Mr. Crepsley said. "She shares some of Mr. Tiny's powers and can see the paths of the future. She might be able to confirm or dismiss his predictions."

"If so, I'll believe her," Vancha said. "Evanna guards her tongue closely but when she speaks, she speaks the truth. If she says our destiny lies on the road, I'll gladly tag along with you. If not…I'll take Silver back to Vampire Mountain and give her a proper tour."

"Why thank you Vancha, that would be nice," I said and he smiled at me.

"Wait, you are Mr. Tiny's daughter too, do you have powers like him too?" Darren asked.

"No, when my father brought my brother and I back to life, he made sure we were different from Evanna and our other brother," I replied.

"Oh, well it was worth a shot," he said with a shrug.

One day whilst breaking camp, Darren and Vancha were talking.

"But how can you fight someone who has a sword?" Darren asked. "Do you run?"

"I run from nothing!" Vancha replied sharply. "Here- let me show you."

Rubbing his hands together, he stood opposite of Darren.

"Draw your sword," Vancha said.

When Darren hesitated, Vancha slapped his left shoulder.

"Afraid?"

"Of course not," Darren snapped. "I just don't want to hurt you."

This made Vancha laugh loudly.

"There's not much fear of that, is there, Larten, Silver?" he said, looking to where Mr. Crepsley and I were standing and watching.

"I would not be so sure," Mr. Crepsley said. "Darren is only a half-vampire but he is sharp. He could test you Vancha."

"It is true Vancha, he has fought well against me," I added.

"Good," Vancha said. "I relish worthy opponents."

Darren looked pleadingly at Mr. Crepsley and I.

"I don't want to draw on an unarmed man."

"_Unarmed?_" Vancha shouted. "I have _two_ arms!"

He waved them at Darren and I laughed a little.

"Go ahead," Mr. Crepsley said. "Vancha knows what he is doing."

Pulling out his sword, Darren faced Vancha and made a half-hearted lunge. Vancha didn't move. Simply watched as he pulled the tip of his sword up short.

"Pathetic," Vancha said with a sniff.

"This is stupid," Darren told him. "I'm not-"

Before he could say anything else, Vancha darted forward, seized Darren by the throat, and made a small cut across his neck with his nail.

"Ow!" Darren yelled, stumbling away from him.

"Next time I'll cut your nose off," he said pleasantly.

"No you won't!" Darren growled and swung at him with the sword, properly this time.

Vancha ducked clear of the arc of the blade.

"Good," he said, grinning. "That's more like it."

Vancha circled him, eyes on his, fingers flexing slowly. Darren kept the tip of his sword low until he stopped, then moved towards him and jabbed. Vancha brought the palm of his right hand up and swiped the blade away. As Darren struggled to bring it back around, Vancha stepped in, caught hold of his wrist and gave a sharp twist that caused him to release his sword. Darren was now weaponless.

"See?" Vancha said and smiled, stepping back and raising his hands to show the fight was at an end. "If this was for real, your ass would be grass."

"Big deal," Darren said, rubbing his wrist. "You beat a half-vampire. You couldn't win against a full-vampire or a Vampaneze."

"I can and have," he insisted. "Weapons are tools of fear, used by those who are afraid. One who learns to fight with his- or her- hands always has the advantage over those who rely n swords and knives. Know why?"

"Why?"

"Because _they_ expect to win," he said, beaming. "Weapons are false- they're not of nature- and inspire false confidence. When I fight, I expect t die. Even now, when I sparred with you, I anticipated death and resigned myself to it. Death is the worst this world can throw at you, Darren- if you accept it, it has no power over you."

Picking up his Darren's sword, he handed it to him. We all watched him to see what he would do. I wanted him to understand what Vancha and I mean by not using weapons and cast his sword aside. It would make me and Vancha proud and earn our respect. Darren looked tempted to d just that but instead slid it back into its sheath and glanced down at the ground, slightly ashamed. Vancha clasped the dare of Darren's neck and squeezed amiably.

"Don't let it bother you," he said. "You're young. You have lots of time to learn."

Vancha's eyes then creased as he thought abut Mr. Tiny and the Lord of the Vampaneze.

"I hope," he added gloomily.

"Can you teach me?" Darren asked, putting things on a lighter note.

"It would take years to master, and you can expect lots f nicks and bruises while learning," Vancha replied.

"I can handle it," Darren said, waving away such concerns.

"Alright, I'll teach you, but we can't start on the trail. I'll just talk you through a few basic blocking tactics when we rest for the day. But I'll give you a real workout when we get to Evanna's," Vancha said with a smile.

"Great, I can't wait! I'll be able to beat armed vampaneze with my bare hands! Hey, what do you think of the vampaneze Vancha?"

"Vampaneze are noble and true," he said. "I don't agree with their feeding habits-there's no need to kill when we drink- but otherwise I admire them."

"Vancha nominated Kurda Smahlt to become a Prince," Mr. Crepsley remarked.

"I admired Kurda," Vancha said. "He was known for his brains, but he also had guts. He was a remarkable vampire."

"Don't you…" Darren coughed and trailed off into silence.

"Say what is on your mind," I said.

"Don't you feel bad for nominating him, after what he did, leading the vampaneze against us?"

"No," Vancha said bluntly. "I don't approve of his actions, and if I'd been at Council, I wouldn't have spoken up on his behalf. But he was following his heart. He acted for the good of the clan. Misguided as he was, I don't think Kurda was a real traitor. He acted poorly, but his motives were pure."

"I agree," Harkat said, joining the conversation. "I think Kurda's been poorly treated. It was right that he was killed when he…was captured, but it's wrong to say he was a villain, and not mention his name…in the Hall of Princes."

I looked at Harkat for a while, thinking of what he said. He was one of my father's Little People and from what I can tell, he doesn't know who he was. He reminds me of someone I met a long time ago when I was just a pup, but I can't remember whom. I'll just find out what else I can about Harkat Maulds and try and find out who he was.

We were almost to my sister's cave where she lived. The sun was just coming up and everyone but me and Vancha were awake. We talked for a while until he left to face his only enemy, the sun. I sat in a tree above Vancha who cast all his clothes but a strip of bear hide that was tied around his waist. He rubbed spit into his skin, preparing to face the sun. My attention was caught by the sound of someone moving.

Looking down where the others were sleeping, I saw Darren sitting and scratching his face. He spotted Vancha and stood, walking over to him.

"Vancha?" he asked quietly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going walking," he said and continued rubbing spit into his body.

Darren started up at the sky. It was a bright day with not a single cloud to block the sunlight.

"Vancha, it's _daytime_," Darren said.

"Really?" he replied sarcastically. "I would never have guessed."

"Vampires burn in sunlight," Darren added.

"Not immediately," Vancha said, then looked at Darren sharply. "Have you ever wondered _why _vampires burn in sunlight?"

"Well, no, not really…"

"There's no logical reason," Vancha said. "According to the stories humans tell, it's because we're evil, and evil beings can't face the sun. But that's nonsense- we're not evil, and even if we were, we should still be able to move about during the day. Look at wolves or Silver. We're supposed to be descended from them, but they can endure the sunlight. Even true nocturnal creatures like bats and owls can survive by day. Sunlight might confuse them, but it doesn't kill them. _So why does it kill vampires?"_

Darren shook his head uncertainly.

"I don't know. Why?"

Vancha barked a laugh.

"Damned if I know! Nobody does. Some claim we were cursed by a witch or sorcerer, but I doubt that- the world's full of servants of the dark arts, but none with the power to make such a lethal curse. My hunch is Desmond Tiny."

"What's Mr. Tiny got to do with it?" Darren asked.

"According to ancient legends- forgotten by most- Tiny created the first vampires. They say he experimented on wolves and mixed their blood with that of humans, resulting in…" Vancha tapped his chest.

"That's ridiculous," Darren said with a snort.

I slid down from my branch and landed on my feet next to Darren and Vancha.

"It does sound ridiculous but it is the closest thing to the truth," I said.

"You know how he made vampires?" Vancha asked.

"Yes, I asked him about it and he told me," I replied.

"Do tell."

"The part about the wolves and humans is right but he also mixed a small amount of his blood too. The human blood was to give vampires the appearance of a human, to make it easier to hunt. Wolves' blood passed down the strength, honor, pride, and honesty that vampires have. My father's blood made vampires telepathic and have more speed, strength, and stronger senses than that of a wolf and human combined."

"And what about sunlight? Is it true he was afraid we'd grow too powerful and take over the world, so he tainted our blood and made us slaves of the night?" Vancha asked.

"Yes, and he feared that vampires would also overpower him," I said.

He stopped rubbing spit into himself and gazed upward, eyes scrunched up against the rays of sunlight.

"Nothing's as awful as slavery," he said quietly. "If we're night slaves because of Tiny's meddling, there's only one way to win back our freed- _fight! _We have to take on the enemy, lk it full in the face, and spit in its eye."

"You mean fight Mr. Tiny?" Darren asked.

"Not directly. He's too slippery a customer to pin down."

"Then who?"

"We have to fight his manservant," Vancha said. "The sun."

"The _sun?_" Darren asked.

Darren laughed until he saw that Vancha was serious.

"How can you fight the sun?"

"Simple," Vancha said. "You face it, take its blows, and keep coming back for more. For years I've been subjecting myself to the rays of the sun. every few weeks I walk about for an hour by day, letting the sun burn me, toughening my skin and eyes to it, testing it, seeing how long I can survive."

"You're crazy," Darren laughed. "Do you really think you can get the better of the sun?"

"I don't see why not," he said. "A foe's a foe. If it can be engaged, it can be defeated."

"Have you made any progress?"

"Not really," Vancha said, sighing. "It's much the same as when I began. The light half-blinds me- it takes almost a full day for my vision to return to normal and the headaches to fade. The rays cause a reddening within ten or fifteen minutes, and it gets painful soon after. I've managed to endure it for close to eighty minutes a coupe of times, but I'm badly burned by the end, and it takes five r six nights of total rest to recover."

"When did this war of yours begin?"

"Let's see," he mused. "I was about two hundred when I started and I'm more than three hundred now, so I guess it's been the best part of a century."

"A hundred years!" Darren gasped. "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'banging your head against a brick wall'?"

"Of course," he said, grinning, "but you forget, Darren- vampires can break walls with their heads!"

With that, he winked at me and walked into the sunlight, whistling loudly.

"Vancha!" I called after him.

"Yes?" he asked, looking at me from over his shoulder.

"You will win this war. After a while, you will become immune to sunlight," I said.

He beamed and lifted his head high, strolling across the field ahead to face his enemy.


	9. Larten's Gift

A full moon was shinning high in the night sky when we arrived at Evanna's. Having been to visit her many times before, I spotted the clearing easily. Darren, this having been his first time here, would have missed it if Mr. Crepsley hadn't nudged him. My sister cast a masking spell over her home so no one but those who knew where to look could spot it.

"We are here," he said.

Darren stared straight ahead for a few seconds until the power of the spell faded and he was gazing upon the crystal-clear pond that glowed a faint white in the moonlight. Opposite of the pond was a hill with a dark, arched entrance of the huge cave in it. The night air was filled with the sound of the croaking of Evanna's frogs as we strolled down the gentle slope to the pond. Darren stopped, alarmed by the noise. Vancha smiled and motioned for him to keep walking.

"It's only frogs," he said.

"They are alerting my sister of our presence. They will stop once she tells them it is safe," I added.

Nodding, Darren continued to walk. The frogs quieted moments later and we walked in silence. As we skirted the edge of the pond, Vancha, Mr. Crepsley, and I warned Darren and Harkat not to step on the frogs which rested by the cool water.

"The frogs are creepy," Harkat whispered. "I feel like they're…watching us."

"They are," I replied.

"They guard the pond and cave, protecting Evanna from intruders," Vancha added.

"What could a bunch of frogs do against intruders?" Darren asked, laughing.

"Do not underestimate them Darren, they are more than they appear," I said.

Vancha stopped and grabbed a frog. Holding it up to the moonlight, he gently squeezed its sides, making the mouth open and a long tongue dart out. He caught it with his index finger and thumb of his right hand, careful not to touch the edges.

"See the tiny sacs along the sides?" he asked.

"Those yellow-red bulges?" Darren said. "What about them?"

"They are filled with poison. If the frog were to wrap its tongue around your arm or the calf of your leg, the sacs would pop and the poison would seep into your flesh," I explained.

"Death in thirty seconds," Vancha said, shaking his head grimly.

Vancha laid the frog down on the damp grass and let go of its tongue. It hopped away and Darren and Harkat walked carefully after. When we reached the mouth of the cave, we stopped. I sat down and set aside my pack, as did Vancha and Mr. Crepsley. Vancha sat next to me and took out the bone he'd been chewing on for the last couple of nights. He spit at the occasional frog that wandered too close to us.

"Aren't we going in?" Darren asked, still standing.

"Not without being invited," Mr. Crepsley replied. "Evanna does not take kindly t intruders."

"Isn't there a bell we can ring?"

"Evanna has no need for bells," he said. "She knows we are here and will come to greet us in her own time."

"Evanna's not one to be rushed," I said.

"A friend of mine thought he'd enter the cave on the quiet once, to surprise her," Vancha said. "She gave him huge warts all over. He looked like…like…"

Vancha frowned.

"It's hard to say, because I've never seen anything quite like it- and I've seen most everything in my time!" he said after a moment f thought.

"Should we be here if she's that dangerous?" Darren asked worriedly.

"Evanna will not harm us," Mr. Crepsley assured him. "She has a quick temper, and it is best not to rile her, but she would never kill one with vampire blood unless provoked."

"Just make sure you don't call her a witch," Vancha warned.

"Yes, of all the things she hates most, it is to be called a witch," I said.

Darren nodded and he and Harkat sat down next to Mr. Crepsley. While we waited for my sister to come, Vancha and I talked.

"Have you been to America?" he asked me.

"Yes, I was on the Mayflower when the pilgrims came. It was interesting to sail to the New Land and I met a few Indians."

"You spoke with them?" he asked.

"Yes, I even became a close friend to one named Wolf Fang," I replied.

"What happened to him?"

"I do not know, he and his tribe left when they saw a war was coming," I said.

"You'll have to tell me all about your life as a pilgrim when the quest is over," Vancha said.

"And you will have to tell me of all the things you have done too," I said.

"Will do."

"Have you been to Russia?" I asked.

"Yes, that was one of the first places I ventured to when I became a prince," Vancha answered.

"Russia is a beautiful place and the weather is wonderful. It was one of my favorite places to be when I was little," I said.

"Russia was little too cold for my taste in the winter but it was quite beautiful," Vancha said.

"That is only because you do not have fur," I laughed. "If you did, you would love it during the winter. Chasing snow rabbits and tracking deer, it is pleasurable."

"Well, then we'll have to do that after the quest too," Vancha said, putting his arm around my shoulder and kissing me on the cheek.

I smiled at him and he smiled back. Feeling like we were being watched, we looked to see that we were. Darren, Harkat, and Mr. Crepsley were staring at us like we went mad.

"What?" Vancha asked.

"When did you two start dating?" Darren asked.

"Darren!" Mr. Crepsley said loudly.

"What? I'm just asking," he said.

"It's alright Larten," Vancha said.

Mr. Crepsley nodded and looked at us, waiting for the answer to Darren's question. Vancha turned to Darren who was giving us a look.

"Well, if I'm correct, we've been dating for five weeks now," Vancha said.

"Five weeks! How did we miss that?" Darren asked.

"Because half the time I was sneaking around and only Silver knew I was there," Vancha answered.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," he said.

Just then, dozens of frogs that were larger than those surrounding the pond came hopping out of the cave. They formed a circle around us and my sister emerged from the cave as well. Darren made a move to stand but Mr. Crepsley motioned for him to stay seated.

"Vampires!" she scoffed, stepping through the frogs which parted as she advanced. "Always ugly bloody vampires! Why don't handsome humans ever come a-calling?"

"They're probably afraid you'd eat them," Vancha said before standing and hugging her.

She hugged him back and lifted him off his feet.

"My little Vancha," she cooed. "You've put on some weight, sire."

"And you're uglier than ever, Lady," he grumbled, gasping for breath.

"You're only saying that to please me," she said then dropped him.

I chuckled a little and my sister turned to me.

"Silver, little sister, you've grown since the last I saw you. How long has it been…fifty years?"

"Hello sister it is good to see you again," I said and smiled.

"So, I heard you and this vampire are 'going out' is it true?" she asked, eyes filled curiosity.

"Yes sister, we have been for five weeks now," I answered.

She smiled and turned to Vancha.

"If you ever hurt her, I will hurt you far worse," she warned.

"You don't have to worry about that Evanna, I'd never hurt her," he said honestly.

"All men say this but very few keep their word on it," she grumbled, turning to Mr. Crepsley.

"Larten," she said, nodding politely.

"Evanna," he replied, standing and bowing.

Before he straitened back up, he kicked out at her. But, as swift as he was, my sister was swifter. She grabbed his leg and twisted, making him roll over and collapse on the ground. Before he could react, Evanna jumped on his back, took hold of his chin, and pulled his head up sharply.

"Surrender?" she yelled.

"Yes!" he wheezed, face reddening in pain.

"Wise boy."

She laughed and kissed his forehead quickly. Then she stood and studied Harkat and Darren.

"Lady Evanna," Darren said.

"It is good to meet you, Darren Shan," she replied. "You are welcome.

"Lady," Harkat said, bowing politely.

I could see he was not as nervous as Darren.

"Hello Harkat," my sister said, returning the bow. "You are also welcome-as you were before."

"_Before?_" he echoed.

"This is not your first visit," she said. "You have changed in many ways, within and without, nut I recognize you. I'm gifted that way. Appearances don't deceive me for long."

"You mean…you know who I was…before I became a Little Person?" Harkat asked, astonished.

"Yes, Silver does also," she answered.

Harkat leaned forward eagerly and looked from me to my sister. I have felt that I knew who Harkat was when he was alive and from what my sister said, I know it is true. The only problem is that I cannot figure out who.

"Who was I?" Harkat asked.

My sister shook her head.

"Neither of us can say. That's for you to find out."

Harkat wanted to ask more but before he could, Evanna fixed her gaze on Darren and stepped forward to cup his chin.

"So this is the boy Prince," she murmured, turning Darren's head left, then right. "I thought you would by younger."

"He was struck with the purge as we traveled here," Mr. Crepsley informed her.

"That explains it."

She had not let go of his face and her eyes still scanned Darren's face. My sister did this with all new people she met, she could tell much from their faces.

"So," Darren said, "you're a witch, are you?"

Mr. Crepsley, Vancha, and I groaned. My sister's nostrils flared and her head shot forward so her's and Darren's face were almost touching.

"_What _did you call me?" she hissed.

"Um. Nothing. Sorry. I didn't mean it. I-"

"You two are to blame!" my sister roared, spinning away from Darren to face a wincing Mr. Crepsley and Vancha. "You told him I was a witch!"

"No Evanna," Vancha said quickly.

"We told him _not _to call you that," Mr. Crepsley assured her.

"I should gut the pair of you," Evanna growled, cocking the little finger of her right hand at her, the long sharp nail pointed at them. "I would, too, if Darren wasn't here-but I'd hate to make a bed first impression."

Glowering hotly, Evanna relaxed her little finger, as did Mr. Crepsley and Vancha. Darren started to laugh at the two, but then Evanna whirled around and the laughter died on his lips. Her face had changed and she looked more wolf than human, with a long snout and long, gleaming fangs. Darren took a frightened step back.

"Mind the frogs!" I warned.

Harkat grabbed Darren's arm to stop him from stepping on one of the poisonous guards. Darren glanced down to make sure he did not step on any. When he looked up again, Evanna's face was back to normal. She smiled at him.

"Appearances, Darren," she said. "Never let them fool you"

The air around my sister shimmered and when it cleared, she was tall, slim, and beautiful with golden hair and a flowing white gown. Darren's jaw dropped and he stared at he rudely. She snapped her fingers and she was her normal self again.

"I am a sorceress," she said. "A wyrd sister. An enchantress. A priestess of the arcane. I am not-" she added, shooting a piercing look at Mr. Crepsley and Vancha, "-a _witch_. I'm a creature of many magical talents. These allow me to take any shape I choose-at least in the minds of those who see me."

"Then why…" Darren started to say but remembered his manners.

"…do I choose this ugly form?" she finished.

Blushing, he nodded.

"I feel comfortable this way. Beauty means nothing to me. Looks are the least important thing in the world. This is the shape I assumed when I first took human form, so it is the shape I return to most often," she explained. "But be careful, Darren, or I'll take my hand to you as I did Larten many years ago."

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Did he ever tell how he got that scar?" she asked.

We all looked t Mr. Crepsley's scar that ran down the left side of his face. He blushed a deep crimson in embarrassment.

"Please, lady," he pleaded. "Do not speak of it. I was young and foolish."

"You most certainly were," Evanna agreed, and nudged Darren in the ribs. "I was wearing one of my beautiful faces. Larten got tipsy on wine and tried to kiss me. I gave him a little scratch to teach him some manners."

They were stunned, finding out that the large scar was not from fighting a vampaneze or wild animal, but from my sister. One of the last times I had visited my sister, she told me the story.

"You are cruel, Evanna," Mr. Crepsley said miserably, stroking his scar.

Vancha burst out laughing. He was laughing so hard that snot was streaming from his nose. I found myself chuckling from the sight of it.

"Larten!" he howled. "Wait till I tell the others! I always wondered why you were so coy about that scar. Normally vampires boast about their wounds, but you-"

"Shut up!" Mr. Crepsley snapped with uncharacteristic bluntness.

"I could have healed it," Evanna said. "If it had been stitched immediately, it wouldn't be half as noticeable as it is. But you took off like a kicked dog and didn't return for thirty years."

"I did not feel wanted," Mr. Crepsley said softly.

"Poor Larten," Evanna said, smirking. "You thought you were a real ladies' man when you were a young vampire, but…"

She pulled a face and cursed.

"I knew I'd forgotten something. I meant to have them set up when you arrived, but I got distracted."

Muttering to herself, she turned to the frogs and made low, croaking sounds noises; telling them to arrange themselves. Another thing she did when I visited was teach me how to understand all the different animals. It has come in handy many times.

"What's she doing?" Darren asked.

"Taking to the frogs," Vancha and I answered at the same time.

Looking at Vancha, I saw he was still grinning about Mr. Crepsley's scar. Harkat gasped and dropped to his knees, looking at the frogs that were now moving.

"Darren!" he called, pointing at one of the lager frogs.

Darren crouched beside the Little Person and looked to the frog he was pointing to. Vancha, Mr. Crepsley, and I looked over their shoulders to see. On the back of the frog was the face of Paris Skyle in dark green and black.

"Weird," Darren said, gently touching the image.

He frowned as he traced the lines more firmly. Evanna, as she said before, is a woman of many talents. She breeds frogs with the images of people using both nature and magic. She has even bred a frog with my face on its back.

"Hey, this isn't paint. I think it's a birthmark," Darren said.

"It can't be," Harkat said. "No birthmark could look that…much like a person, especially not one we-Hey! There's another one!"

We our heads to see the second one Harkat was pointing at.

"That's not Paris," Darren said.

"No," Harkat agreed, "but it's a face. And there's a third."

He pointed to a different frog.

"And a fourth," Darren noted, standing and gazing around.

"They _must_ be painted on," Harkat said.

"They're not," Vancha said.

Bending, I picked up a frog and held it out for the two to examine. Using the strong light of the moon, they saw that the marks were under the top layer of the frog's skin.

"I told you Evanna bred frogs," Mr. Crepsley reminded them.

He took the frog and traced the shape of the face of a burly and bearded man.

"It is a mix of nature and magic. She finds frogs with strong natural markings, magically enhances them, and breeds them, producing faces. Evanna is the only one in the world who can do it," he explained.

"Here we are," my sister said.

I took a step back as she pushed Vancha and Darren out of the way, leading nine frogs over to Mr. Crepsley.

"I feel guilty for lumbering you with that scar, Larten. I shouldn't have cut you so deeply," she said.

"It is forgotten, lady," he replied, smiling gently. "The scar is part of me now. I am proud of it-"

He glared at Vancha who held in another round of laughter.

"-even if others can only mock."

"Still," she said, :it irks me. I've presented you with gifts over the years- such as the collapsible pots and pans- but they haven't satisfied me."

"There is no need-" Mr. Crepsley began.

"Shut up and let me finish!" Evanna growled. "I think at last I have a gift that will make amends. It's not something you can take, just a little…token."

Evanna motioned for him to look down and Mr. Crepsley looked down at the frogs.

"I hope you do not mean to give the frogs to me."

"Not exactly."

My sister croaked an order for the frogs to rearrange themselves and they did.

"I know Arra Sails was killed in the fighting with the vampaneze six years ago," she said.

Mr. Crepsley's face fell at the mention of his one time mate. I had heard from the Alpha that he still had feelings for her and had taken her death hard.

"She died valiantly," he said.

"I don't suppose you kept anything of hers, did you?"

"Such as?"

"A lock of hair, a knife that was dear to her, a scrap of her clothes?"

"Vampires do not indulge in such foolishness," he said gruffly.

"They should," Evanna said with a sigh.

The frogs stopped moving and she looked down at them. Nodding in approval, she stepped aside.

"What are-"

Mr. Crepsley fell silent as his eyes took in the face that was spread across the frogs' backs. It was the face of Arra Sails, a section on each frog's back. I have never seen her but from what the Alpha described, this face was as close to a photo of the vampiress as imaginable. Mr. Crepsley had not moved. His mouth was a tight line across the lower half of his face, but his eyes were filled with warmth, sadness, and love. I looked away; it was rude to stare at a grieving man.

"Thank you, Evanna," he whispered.

"No need," she said, smiling softly. "I think we should leave him alone for a while. Come into the cave."

Wordlessly, we followed her in. Vancha paused to clap Mr. Crepsley's left shoulder and squeeze comfortingly. The frogs hopped after us, all except those with Arra's features plastered across their backs. They stayed, holding their shape, and kept Mr. Crepsley company as he gazed sorrowfully at the face of his one-time mate and thought about the painful past.


End file.
